Psalm 119:11 - Memorizing Scripture.
Psalm 119:11 (KJV) Thy word have I hid in
mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
INTRODUCTION
Scripture memorization is a defense against
sin. Hiding (keeping) God's Word in our hearts is
a deterrent to sin. This alone should inspire
us to memorize Scripture. But memorization
alone will not keep us from sin; we must also put
God's Word to work in our lives, making it a vital
guide for everything we do. [Life Application SB]
Every promise in God's word is ours. "By
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God" are we to live. When assailed by temptation,
look not to circumstances or to the weakness of
self, but to the power of the word. All its
strength is yours. {DA 123}
COMMENTARY PEARL
How Do You Memorize Scripture?
If you want to grow strong and mature as
a follower of Jesus, you have to memorize
Scripture! Gods Word is truth - and planting it in
the soil of your heart is a powerful tool for
growth.
Psalm 119:1 says, I have hidden your
word in my heart that I might not sin against
you (NIV). Hiding Gods Word in your heart -
memorizing it - helps you break patterns of sin in your
life and mature in your faith.
If youve never memorized Scripture
before, it may be intimidating. But you can do this!
Maybe you think youre not smart enough, or
perhaps youve had trouble memorizing before. Here
are some simple steps you can follow to start
memorizing Gods Word today:
1. Pick a verse that speaks to you. Don't
choose a verse because you think you should
memorize it. Memorize it because you want to -
because you believe it will make a difference in
your life.
2. Say the Scripture reference before and
after the text. For instance, with todays
verse, you would say, Psalm 119:11, I have
hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin
against you. Psalm 119:11. Sometimes the
reference is the hardest thing to remember, so by
saying it out loud before and after the verse, it
becomes easier to remember.
3. Read the verse aloud, and read it many
times. Many people remember what they say, not what
they read. As you say a verse aloud, youre
recording it in your mind.
4. Memorize it exactly. Dont try to
manipulate the Scripture before you learn it. Learn it
as it is in the Bible.
5. Start by memorizing one verse a week.
In time you may be able to learn two verses a
week, but start slowly. As I mentioned in a
previous devotional, if you memorize one verse a
week, you will memorize 52 verses in a year! If
you memorize two a week, that will be more than
100 in a year. Youll carry so much truth and
wisdom in your heart and mind for you to recall
later.
I know people who have memorized entire
books of the Bible. Theyre not geniuses. They
just decided they were going to do it"one verse
at a time. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren:
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/]
COMMENTARY
Christ's humanity was united with divinity;
He was fitted for the conflict by the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make us
partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are
united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion
over us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us
to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity
of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of
character. And how this is accomplished, Christ has
shown us. By what means did He overcome in the
conflict with Satan? By the word of God. Only by the
word could He resist temptation. "It is written,"
He said. And unto us are given "exceeding great
and precious promises: that by these ye might be
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Peter
1:4. Every promise in God's word is ours. "By
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of
God" are we to live. When assailed by temptation,
look not to circumstances or to the weakness of
self, but to the power of the word. All its
strength is yours. DA123
God's holy, educating Spirit is in His word.
A light, a new and precious light, shines
forth from every page. Truth is there revealed,
and words and sentences are made bright and
appropriate for the occasion, as the voice of God
speaking to the soul The promises spoken by the
great Teacher will captivate the senses and
animate the soul with spiritual power that is
divine. There will grow in the fruitful mind a
familiarity with divine things that will be as a
barricade against temptation. The words of truth will
grow in importance, and assume a breadth and
fullness of meaning of which we have never dreamed.
The beauty and riches of the word have a
transforming influence on mind and character. COL132
The heart preoccupied with the word of God
is fortified against Satan. Those who make
Christ their daily companion and familiar friend
will feel that the powers of an unseen world are
all around them; and by looking to Jesus they
will become assimilated to His image. By
beholding they become changed to the divine pattern;
their character is softened, refined, and ennobled
for the heavenly kingdom." 6T616
There is only one power that can keep us
steadfast under the most trying circumstances, - the
grace of God in truth. YI 11-10-86
In every life, the rain will come down
and the streams will rise. Thats why, when we
hear the Word of God, we need to listen as though
our lives depend on it because they do. Our
spiritual lives do.
Jesus, in His conclusion to the Sermon on
the Mount, said, Whoever hears these sayings
of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a
wise man who built his house on the rock: and the
rain descended, the floods came, and the winds
blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall,
for it was founded on the rock (Matthew
7:24-25 NKJV).
In contrast to the wise man who built his
house on the rock, Jesus made this statement about
the people who dont do this: Everyone who
hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them,
will be like a foolish man who built his house on
the sand: and the rain descended, the floods
came, and the winds blew and beat on that house;
and it fell. And great was its fall (verses
26-27 NKJV).
Were in a spiritual battle, and we
fight a spiritual battle with spiritual weapons.
In fact, Ephesians 6:17 tells us that the sword
of the Spirit is the Word of God. So when the
Devil comes with a temptation, we need to respond
with the sword of the Spirit. Or when the Devil
whispers in your ear, Youre not really a
Christian. God hasnt forgiven you, we need to
respond with the sword of the Spirit.
Memorize the Word of God. Use the Word of
God. It will help you in times of temptation and
in times of trial. As the psalmist wrote,
Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might
not sin against You (Psalm 119:11 NKJV). Know
the Word of God. [Greg Laurie from Harvest
Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]
ILLUSTRATION
When I began to get serious about
spiritual things, it was this discipline that helped
me the most. No other decision has been as
profoundly helpful to me as memorizing Scripture.
When I was younger, one of the first
verses I learned came from the old King James
Version, the most common translation at the time. It
read, Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I
might not sin against thee (Psalm 119:11). A
more modern rendering appears in the New
International Version: I have hidden your word in my
heart that I might not sin against you. The
term hidden expresses the idea of treasuring the
Bible the same way a miser hoards gold coins,
keeping them in a secret vault.
Over the years, I have hoarded Bible
verses, gathering a storehouse of them in my mind. I
can recall more than one occasion when the
memorized Word of God rescued me from sexual
temptation. It was as though God pulled down an
imaginary shade between the other person and me, and
inscribed on the surface were the words Be not
deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:7
KJV). I had committed that verse to memory as a
teenager. During times when I felt profound
loneliness, Scripture I had memorized rescued me from
the pit of depression. Verses like Isaiah 41:10
and 49:15-16, along with Psalm 27:1 and 30:5,
have brought me great comfort. [Chuck Swindoll
www.insight.org.]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY
Psalm 119:11 - How To Hide Gods Word In Your
Heart.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200802-1127.html
Psalm 119:11 - When Temptation Calls.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210714-1105.html
Psalm 119:11 - How to Be Spiritually Strong.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210318-1056.html
Matthew 4:4 - Spiritual Food Is Necessary
for Spirit Living.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200618-0839.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
